Great LORs

[saxifoneforgod]

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Hi everyone! I was wondering if some of you could give me some advice on how to get great LORs from your professors. I am unsure of what I need to do to get them to help. Do you have to just ask them for one? Should you go to ALL of their office hours? Can you get to LORs before you are even ready to apply to med school? I really need help on this aspect. You have all been very helpful in the past, please help now! Thanks!

 

[Chunkeroni]

I think this can depend a lot on the size of your school and the quality of interactions you have with your professors. I did not go to office hours of the people I asked letters for, but I also went to a small school and have plenty of interactions and multiple classes with the professors. If you go to a larger school and are not sure your science profs even know your name you might want to think about visiting them outside of class, staying after class etc. My best advice is ask for these letters early!! Mine definitely held up my apps because I didn't ask for them until I started getting secondaries and it turned into a little bit of a mess. So establish a relationship, explain your situation and ask early!

Also most professors are used to being asked to write LORS and you should have a good idea of what professors would write a favorable one (i.e. classes you have worked especially hard in or done particularly well in).

Good luck!!🙂

 

[madscientist50]

Be a good student, wrork hard , and show interest in their projects. As for LORs if you dont know what someone is going to write, then you probably shouldnt ask them to write one for you. Have some confidence.

 

[mikejames]

go to interfolio.com it helps you out alot if your not applying to medical school this cycle it will hold your LOR's until your ready for them to be sent out🙂
Talk to the professor either before or after class and give him or her a resume🙂

 

[Krisss17]

How many LORs are usually required? From whom should you get them from?

Thanks in Advance!
Krisss17

 

[DoctorMom78]

How many LORs are usually required? From whom should you get them from?

Thanks in Advance!
Krisss17

I had a committee letter, two DO letters, and a letter from the PhD where I did my research. You usually need at least the committee and a DO letter, but it is nice to have some others as well. As for getting the letters, choose people that know you well that you are confident will write you a strong letter. You would not believe the horror stories I have heard on here of evil, back-stabbing letter writers!😱 I am sure you will be able to get some good ones though.

 

[Krisss17]

Please forgive my ignorance, but can you explain what you mean by committee?

Thanks,
Krisss17

 

[DoctorMom78]

Please forgive my ignorance, but can you explain what you mean by committee?

Thanks,
Krisss17

Pre-med committee from your school. Most schools want a composite letter submitted by your pre-med committee. At my school, my professors submitted their letters to the committee chair and he compiled them into a single letter.

 

[Jpc984]

Some schools do not have pre-professional commitees. I think you can substitute a letter of rec from your advisor instead if that is the case.

 

[Krisss17]

Some schools do not have pre-professional commitees. I think you can substitute a letter of rec from your advisor instead if that is the case.

Actually this was a concern...thanks for expanding on my question about committee letters...

 

[Mr_Doc]

hmm well my school has a pre-med committe and i recentaly talked to the lady who runs it and she told me that my gpa (3.0) is not good enough for med school and that i would never get in so if i wanted them to write me a letter it would be a negative one. She said that the letter would state i was not recommended for medical school pretty much.....i told her shes insane and walked out....so now what do i do? should i still get a letter from the commitee or just my advisor?

 

[toothless rufus]

I don't like the committee thang. Not at all. You should be able to earn your letters on your own terms, by building a relationship with your potential letter writer through the quality of the work that you do, and the personal attributes that you show. If your writer believes in you, then you have earned your letter.

 

[CTrainSJU]

I just went the individual professor write. I think letters from individuals rather than a group can be more personable. Also, I had an MD rather than a DO write my physician letter. I could have had a DO letter but the MD knew me much better so I went with the quality of the letter rather than just satisfy the DO letter request. These choices seem to have all worked out for me.

 

[supersash]

many schools will accept three LORs (2 science, 1 non science), in lieu of a commitee letter (i think PCOM is the exception to this).

my school had a commitee, but the advisor was very biased about who she liked, and seemed to cater to those students, and leave the others in the dark. i know of someone who's letter was sent out MONTHS late, leaving her with only waitlists.

personally, i wanted more control over the process, so i rec'd letters from 1 undergrad sci professor, 1 non science professor, and 1 grad school science professor, as well as my DO letter.

if i don't get in, i know its not because of my letters, because i only asked people i felt would right me a strong letter!

hope this helps, and sorry it was so long.

 

[Mr_Doc]

so pretty much i cant apply to PCOM now that my pre-med committe wont write me a letter? well fuuuuck theres goes 1 of the 2 school i wanted to go too.